Athlete Spotlight: Andrea DeLisa

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Andrea DeLisa has been passionate about all things bowling ever since she was little and had to sit and watch her older sister practice bowling. When she was finally old enough, she could not wait to get her hands on a bowling ball. Her parents have been very supportive of her dedication to bowling, especially now with her spot on Palo’s varsity bowling team.

Being a freshman on the varsity bowling team here at Palo Verde is a lot different than most other sports teams since placement is based on skill level rather than your grade.

“[Being a freshman] is not much different than being any other age. In other sports, the varsity teams are larger and they’re mostly seniors, but in bowling, age doesn’t necessarily mean skill level so we are pretty mixed with freshmen, sophomores and seniors,” she says.

When DeLisa is not busy at bowling practices, matches or doing school work, she enjoys watching her favorite TV show, Supergirl,painting or spending time with her family and friends.

Being involved in a sport has helped her adjust to high school by allowing her to make a lot more friends. The team has a tight knit family aspect, so they are always there to help each other out. Being on the bowling team has also impacted her in numerous other ways, such as teaching her to be more focused and disciplined. It not only has made her bowling skills better, but she has taken away these life lessons to apply in the real world. One of DeLisa’s favorite things about being on a bowling team is the challenge it gives her to have to change her style of bowling to accommodate each lane and each time you bowl after someone.

High school can be difficult being on a team and doing your school work. With juggling her bowling schedule and the daily demands of school work, her advice to incoming freshman is to have good time management.

“Although I don’t always successfully do this, you should stay on top of your homework by doing the work you get assigned that night,” DeLisa explains.

This makes weekends more free so she can enjoy her favorite things, such as: listening to country music and reading her favorite book, All the Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven.

One of her favorite things about Palo is the freedom students have in comparison to middle school. The school treats students more like the adults they are becoming instead of like little kids.

“I like the freedom [at Palo]. How you don’t have to file in at lunch time. You can just find a table and sit where you want. You can walk around and talk with your friends if you like,” she states.

After high school, DeLisa sees herself still bowling whether she is on a league or not so she can enjoy her passion. She would also like to travel to Italy one day to learn more about where her heritage came from and meet the family she still has living there. Plus, who wouldn’t want to eat the amazing food?

Andrea DeLisa thrives to achieve her goals and hopes to inspire others to do the same. With an attitude that is always ready to take on a challenge, there is nothing this teen can’t handle.